Part-time justice court judges standing for retention in 2016 are required to meet three minimum performance standards adopted by the judicial branch and enacted by the legislature.
Judge Armstrong met these standards:
- He participated annually in no less than 30 hours of continuing legal education for each year of his current term;
- He held no cases under advisement for more than two months; and
- He has not been the subject of any public reprimands issued by the Judicial Conduct Commission or the Utah Supreme Court during his term of office.
Based solely on compliance with these standards, the commission recommends retention for Judge Armstrong.
Judge Ken Armstrong was appointed to the Santa Clara Justice Court in 2000. Before his appointment to the bench, he served in the U.S. Army and received a Bronze Star Medal while serving in South Viet Nam. In 1976, he graduated Cum Laude from Colorado’s Metropolitan State College with a degree in Criminal Justice and Outdoor Recreation. He worked as a law enforcement officer and firefighter for 22 years. In 2006, he was awarded a certificate of Legal Studies from the Utah Legal Institute. From 2002 through 2009, Judge Armstrong served as the education director for the Fifth District’s Justice Courts.